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Sunday, July 26, 2015

Dental health is as important for your pet as it
is for you. Chronic dental disease is the
number one cause of heart disease in older pets. This is one area that most pet owners neglect.

The idea of brushing your dog's or cat's teeth is
not very appealing. However, it is the
most effective way to prevent dental disease in your pet. There are two main ways to brush your pet's
teeth. The first, do it the same way you
brush yours, with a toothbrush. There
are a few dogs that will allow this, but most will fight pretty hard when you
stick a toothbrush in their mouth. The
usual result is that you end up jabbing your dog in the gums with the end of
the toothbrush, and that is the last time you are allowed to do that!

The next alternative for brushing your pet's
teeth is to use a finger brush. This is
a little toothbrush that fits on the end of your finger. It allows you to have a little more control
and will help avoid injury to your pet. This
is the safer method for your dog, but not very pleasant for you.

The good news is that although brushing your pet’s
teeth is the best way to ensure dental health, it is not the only option. One good preventive measure is to make sure you
feed your pet kibble and not canned food. The kibble will naturally keep tartar from
building up on your pet's teeth. Feeding
your pet canned food is one of the worst things you can do for dental health.

Another important thing you can do for your pet's
teeth is to have them cleaned on a regular basis. For most dogs, that means having a dental
cleaning every three years. There are
some breeds of dogs, such as Greyhounds, that need dental cleanings on a more
frequent basis. The best way to know if
your dog needs his teeth cleaned is to lift up his lips and take a look at the
teeth. If they have tartar build up,
then they need a cleaning.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

In the same way that obesity has become a problem
for people, it has also become a problem for our pets. Several health issues can arise as a result
of obesity. Many of these health
concerns are the same ones that obese people face.

For cats, the major health problem that can arise
as a result of obesity is diabetes. Overweight
cats are at a significantly higher risk for diabetes than cats who are at a
healthy weight (See #31 Diabetes Mellitus in Cats).

For dogs, the main health concerns associated
with obesity are heart failure and arthritis.
Just like in people, when a dog is carrying around more weight than he
is meant to carry, his heart has to work overtime. When the heart has to work extra hard, it
wears out before it would have otherwise.
In addition, the extra weight puts too much pressure on the dog's joints
causing extra wear and tear that leads to arthritis.

The number one contributor to pet obesity:
Feeding your pet people food! I hear all
the time, "But he really likes it and will throw a fit if I don't give it
to him." First of all, if you don't
start, then you don't have to stop. Secondly,
just like a child will choose donuts over green beans, your pet will choose
people food over pet food. There are
some perfectly acceptable pet treats that your pet will appreciate that are
much healthier than people food. Your
pet will adapt to the change, just be consistent.

The next question is, "How do I know if my
pet is obese?"

There is a simple illustration: First, make a fist. If your pet’s ribs look like your knuckles
when you make a fist, then it is too thin. Second, turn your palm face up with your
fingers straight out. If your pet’s ribs
look like the pads over your knuckles on your palm, then he is too fat. Finally, turn your palm face down with your
fingers straight out. If your pet’s ribs
look like your knuckles, then he is the ideal body weight. In other words, you want to be able to easily
feel his ribs when you rub your hands over them, but you don't want to see his
ribs.

Finally, "What do I do if my dog is
obese?"

First, stop feeding him people food. Second, cut back on the fatty treats. By that, I mean things like rawhides and pig's
ears. There are some very good low fat
treats that you can use. Alternatively, one
of the easiest things to do is give him a piece of his kibble (dry food). Since it is being given outside of his normal
feeding time, he will think of it as a special treat. Also, if you are feeding canned food, either
stop all together, or cut it back significantly. Canned pet foods are much higher in fat than
dry kibble. Additionally, canned food is
a major contributor to dental disease. Finally,
just like people, pets need to exercise. So, get him moving. This will not only help him slim down, it will
also improve the health of his joints.

Again, a pet at a healthy weight will live
significantly longer than an obese pet. I don't know about you, but I want my
pets around for as long as I can have them!

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